The Hiigaran Effect
by C208 Driver
Summary: Citadel Council discovers Progenitor Gate that opens up the Milky Way to M51, this takes place nearly 100 years after the Vaygr war and just before the events of Mass Effect.
1. Chapter 1

The Hiigaran Effect

Chapter 1

The young Salarian captain walked down the halls of the Council chamber to submit his report to the council, most dismissed his nervousness due to Salarian physiology but the report that he had to give was so disturbing he wished that this was the case. So there he stood before Councilors Valern, Tevos, and Sparatus.

"Captain Selta, what news do you bring from the gate?" Tevos began, looking at the Salarian.

Selta gave out a sigh as he began. "Your conclusions were correct, this gate is very old. Much older than the Citadel."

"We need a number, Captain." Valern spoke up.

"Well sir, it is made of an unknown element in an unknown structure so carbon dating will not give us any reliable data to go off of." Selta began.

"What of these people on the far side of the gate, these Hiigarans?" Tevos said, redirecting the meeting back to is purpose.

"Well, they do in fact appear to be human, at least in appearances along with most other sentient in their galaxy."

"Wait, did you say galaxy?" Sparatus said, taking the moment to voice his question.

"Correct, if I had to venture a guess it would make the seeding theory very possible. This would also explain why most species had a language that was very similar in structure and syntax." Selta explained.

"So, what have you learned from these people?" Tevos asked, wanting to get an idea of who they were dealing with.

"They are a scientific people, and yet oddly enough seem to hold to religious concepts. Although from what I see, it is more of a tradition and cultural identification than actual practice."

"So they are not militaristic?" Sparatus asked.

"That is where you are mistaken." Selta began.

"What do you mean?" The councillor asked.

"Military tradition seems to be a cornerstone of their people. They maintain a significant navy to say the least. Their fleet most likely consists of around five hundred ships, a significant middle power. Although these numbers could be off as I was not permitted access to numbers but just technological overview." The captain said as he tried his best to explain the next bit. "Technologically, I'm not sure what to make of them. They are more advanced than us in some respects but far behind in other aspects."

"Explain." Valern said, interrupting the Salarian captain.

"Well, their ships are ridiculously slow and have no form of shields."

"So they are of no threat to us at all." Sparatus said confidently.

"I wouldn't say that. They have developed hull plate densities that I thought were impossible, utilize viable directed energy weapons, and a different form of FTL But that is not the most disturbing part."

"What is?" Tevos asked.

"Their production and design concepts." Selta said as he popped up holographic image. "They have these, they are essentially like the carriers of the Alliance with bays to hold strike craft and gunships. They differ in that they can actually build ships as large a frigates." Selta said, as the holographic images showed the ship leaving the carrier. "Their ships also use extensive automated systems that allow them to only need a fraction of the crew that our own ships of comparable size would need."

"Captain, you mentioned production?" Sparatus said, clearly seeing the potential problem.

"They use some sort of production technology that I cannot explain or understand. In a combat zone they can build strike craft at an alarming rate, from what I saw they can build entire 5 craft fighter squadrons within an hour, 3 craft gunship squadrons in days and frigates in less than a week."

The councillors were silent so Selta continued. "By these numbers, if they have even half a dozen of these carriers and with proper logistics they could build the equivalent of the human Systems Alliance Fifth Fleet in six months. This essentially throws our entire offensive strategy out the door as they could simply rebuild their fleets and grind us down. Our defensive strategy is essentially useless as well as they could bypass the entire relay network and hit our worlds far from the relays. Even if we stationed fleets at every important world there would be no way to detect or track them, the very idea of war with them is something I strongly suggest we avoid."

"Spirits." Sparatus muttered.

After a few more minutes, Tevos finally spoke up again. "So you would categorize this race as a clear danger to Council Space."

"No, I would not." Selta said, glad to be able to tell the only good news.

"Why not?" Valern asked, almost demanding an explanation.

"They are currently in some sort of golden age. They call it the Age of S'jet, named after their Sa of Sas."

"Sa of Sas?" Tevos said, raising an 'eyebrow'.

"Yes, its named after their leader a one Karan S'jet. She is infused in a massive warship that seems to be the key to this all, I don't understand how but it has given her some sort of better understanding of the galaxy. They have had galactic peace now for almost a century with none of the races going to war, not even an armed border dispute."

"How is this possible?" Sparatus asked.

"Frankly, I don't know. They made some reference to something called the Tower of Names, but I can assure you from what I saw that although they seem to be militaristic, they are not war mongering. I would recommend opening diplomatic channels with their diplomatic corps."

"We will take your recommendation into consideration." Tevos said, she didn't know what to think of this, but they had even more pressing matters. Word had arrived to them a few hours ago that a Human colony was attacked by Geth and she had to deal with that wound up human, Udina.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The shipping lanes were always a flurry of activity, ships moving back and forth like a flurry of ants, all in their mad rush for the almighty credit. Very little taking note of the ship that had joined with the steams of ships heading to the Citadel. Yet this ship was unique, it traveled on the slower shipping routes, having trouble even keeping up with the bulk haulers. Yet this vessel was slightly larger than a military frigate if a bit more heavy-looking with less angular lines and fuller in appearance. She seemed to sport several large guns and large openings in the bow.

Kiran Somtaaw stood on the bridge of the ship, she was not a warrior or a director of vessels but a diplomat. She had been sent here to open talks with the Citadel Council and this humble line frigate was her form of transportation. Most of her colleagues would not have chosen such a vessel. The small hyperspace core of these craft required much more jumps than would a battlecruiser or even a destroyer. While these vessels would have been more appropriate for a diplomat, she knew how the game was played, having studied the information she was given by fleet command.

The Citadel Council, a regime that prided itself in bringing about solutions through peaceful negotiations and co-operation. Yet there was more to it than that official line. They seemed to operate more along the lines of cohesion. The Asari gleaned knowledge through their unique abilities, while the Salarians used espionage to ensure any opponent that had any sort of advantage would lose it quickly. Then came the Turians. If ever there was a more appropriate use of the phrase, 'gun to the head', this was it. They possessed a truly massive fleet, one that Kiran was unsure whether or not Hiigara and her Republican Taiidan allies could even contain were they provoked. They already knew about this Relay 314 Incident and knew they would have to play the game carefully.

This is why she chose an insignificant frigate to take her here, let the Council believe this humble frigate was all they could spare. The reality was far different, they had hundreds of ships as concealed starbases on the far end of the Gate of Edom ready and willing to defend Hiigara to their last breath. Kiran knew that as long as the Council believed that the Hiigarans were a small and insignificant race, they could begin to trade in this region of space without too many intrusions.

"Ma'am, we are approaching the docking station. Recommend you have a seat." The helmsman told her.

Kiran nodded her head and did as instructed, part of her was still nervous about her first foreign posting. As representative of the Hiigaran Consulate, she would be responsible to establish the trade relations needed to revive the stagnating Hiigaran economy as well as finding potential planets for the expansion of the empire. Much was riding on how the Council perceived the Hiigarans, and given their similarities to the Humans, she would have to take steps to distance themselves from them.

Kiran stood up from her seat as she felt the shudder of the ship docking, gathering her personal documents as well as diplomatic data crystals, she headed for the airlock. Arriving there, she looked over her attire. She wore the long, flowing and multi-colored robes of traditional Kushan dress. Once she was confident that she looked presentable, Kiran stepped out of the ship onto the ganway where she first met Citadel pomp and circumstance.

There was some sort of crimson fabric lying on the ground that extended to where the Councilors were standing. She did not expect to meet them in person, but perhaps and aide and even with the issues and agreements she would bring up, she expected never to encounter them directly. As she walked along the fabric covered floor, she noticed the soldiers on either side at military attention. A subtle display of the Council's military capability, she was curious if bringing military personnel was an attempt at intimidation. She dismissed that thought when she heard the sound of the song, Light of Tiir playing over some sort of projection system, clearly trying to show respect.

"Councilors, I am Kiran Somtaaw. On behalf of the Great Daiamid and the Sajuuk-Khar, I humbly thank you for inviting us into your tent." Kiran said, giving a deep bow.

"Please Miss Somtaaw, we are all equals here." Councilor Tevos said, gesturing that she should stand normally. "One of my assistants can take your bags to your consulate for you, if you like."

"Thank-you, but no." Kiran said. "For an able-bodied Hiigaran to refuse work or your own tasks is frowned upon."

"Why is that?" Valern spoke up.

"Tradition from our time on Kharak. It was a sparse desert planet, everyone worked as a family and you did not delegate work you could do yourself. Even after our return, there is still a stigma."

"Your return?" Kiran recognized it as the voice of the Turian councillor, Sparatus.

"Yes, our return from exile. I can explain once I get settled in." Kiran said, feeling the lag from the jumps.

"Of course, you must be tired. I hear your trip was delayed?" Tevos asked.

"Yes, we are sorry about that. My transport had to be taken off patrol, and the distance is quite far, it took nearly a week to get here." Kiran said, knowing it was a half-truth.

"A week? I thought your ship drives were much more efficient than that." Valern asked as they were escorted to the stretch skycar.

"You must be referring to your delegation. He was shown our most advanced drive systems. Frankly, those systems are very expensive to build and costly to maintain. Most of our ships utilize the cheaper short-jump cores. We can travel relatively unencumbered because we have a system of similar concept in our galaxy called the Ringroad." Kiran said, must to the disappointment of the Salarian.

As they got into the vehicle, they began to speak more freely. "Miss Somtaaw, why exactly are you expressing interests in our area of space, from what I know, you have significant territory of your own."

"Well, we are always looking for new trade partners, and increasing the prosperity of all. We have kept the peace because of what we have to offer. If we can offer what you have to the peoples of our galaxy what you have, that will advance this cause even further." Kiran said.

"Noble goal, but don't think you can just exact what you want with nothing in return." Valern spoke up. "We would like to have some of our people look at that ship of yours."

Kiran knew this was coming and so she was well prepared. "I'm sorry, but as I serve in a consulate and not an embassy, that is beyond my authority. I can propose trade deals, travel visas and any public news from Hiigara."

"Understandable." Sparatus spoke up. "You are aware, that from now on, your people need to refrain from sending warships into our region of space."

"Of course, we were unsure of how safe your shipping lanes were." Kiran replied looking at the three councillors, trying to get a read on them. The Asari was the easiest to gauge, followed by the Salarian, but the Turian was quite difficult.

Kiran felt the skycar descend and come so a stop with a slight bump. "Well, here you are Miss Somtaaw. Your consulate is right next door to the Hanar embassy. We recommend you familiarize yourself with the data package on the lesser species before interaction. It will make things much easier on the Citadel."

"Thank-you councillors." Kiran said and opened the door to leave.

"Here, take this." Tevos offered a package to Kiran. "It is a basic omni-tool with a translator so you can communicate with the other races. Whirlpool Galactic Standard has just been added to the database."

Kiran gave a nod and took the package, and stepped out of the car. Once she was away from the vehicle it glided off. She began to work with this omni-tool, and figured how to attach it to her wrist and put the associated translator piece in her right ear. After a few commands on the interface, she got the gist of it. It really was a fascinating piece of technology, her own people still used bulky datapads and terminals. "Miss Somtaaw, do you need directions?" A voice from the device spoke.

"Limited programing." Kiran said and was surprised with a response. "I am the Virtual Intelligence interface programmed into this device. Please state a destination."

"Very well, Hiigaran Consulate." Kiran said, and the device quickly gave her directions. Arriving at the consulate, she could see that her people were already hard at work. Someone had already secured the Hiigaran seal over the doorway into the rather humble establishment. Kiran stepped inside and immediately got to work.

* * *

"So where do we go from here?" A young dark-haired man said to a fiery haired woman, both donning gray armor and the standard array of Systems Alliance weaponry.

"That volus Barla Von might be a good start." A dark haired woman that was with the other two suggested.

"Sounds good, Williams. Lead the way." The woman said to her colleague.

"You got it skipper." The marine said, while the redhead named Jane stood back with a one Staff Lieutenant Kaiden Alenko.

"Something else on your mind, Lieutenant?" Jane asked her fellow officer.

"I got a strange ping on my omni-tool. Do you know what Whirlpool Galactic Standard is?" Kaiden asked.

"Sorry, can't say I do." Jane said flatly. "What is it?"

"I don't know, but it popped up as a language update. Didn't you…." Kaiden began.

"Come on Lieutenant, you know me and these things." Jane said, referring to her omni-tool.

"Right, Vanguards." Kaiden said with a smile.

"Hey! At least I use a real gun." Jane said, continuing the banter.

"Your shotgun won't get you through a locked door…ma'am." Kaiden said with a smile.

"I'd hate to break up the biotic club, but we're here." Ashley said, pushing the button for the door.

Jane listened to everything the Volus said, she did not want to miss a vital clue that she could use to nail Saren to the wall. Then something caught her attention. She was just asking questions about the Presidium when she heard something completely new, her companions thought the same.

"What's a Hiigaran?" Jane asked.

"They are the latest race to come to the Citadel. Due to the far distances, they have been granted a new office called a consulate. If you want to know more, they are located next to the Hanar embassy. Was there anything else, Commander?" The Volus asked.

"No, that will be it. Goodbye." Jane said as the three of them left.

"Hiigaran? Great, more aliens." Ashley sighed.

"Williams, you mind not talking about non-humans like that in public? On the ship is one thing, but I don't want to have to explain to the ambassador why he was bombarded by Citadel press due to a xenophobic marine." Jane said, somewhat irritated at the comment.

"Yes, ma'am. Sorry ma'am." Ashley said.

"Well, I think we should see who this new race is." Jane said as the three of them headed down towards the consulate. Arriving there, it did not look official at all. Not even guards outside. The one thing that did catch her attention was a winged seal over the door, it was far more than any other species did to indicate their embassy and this was just a consulate. Jane was very curious indeed.

Stepping through the doors, she almost fell flat on her back, the other two with her were of a very similar sentiment. "Humans?" Was all she could say, it was very strange. If this was an alien race, they looked just like her own people. Jane was caught off guard when a male behind what was the front desk spoke in a language the translator did not recognize.

* * *

Kiran was paged in her office by the front desk, told to come out. They had visitors. Kiran closed her draft of the shipping lane agreement that she was drafting and headed out into the main area of the consulate. Standing there were two what she knew were human females and a human male. The dark eyes of two of them easily made them recognizable as Humans. Yet the third, could pass for a Hiigaran if she dyed her hair a darker colour as the eyes were just about the right shade of green. She almost reminded her of Jayde, her younger sister who had died in a hyperspace test years ago. It was almost uncanny. As she approached, she could see one of the humans use his omni-tool that made the devices of the other two glow as well.

"Can I help you?" Kiran said as she approached the three, almost nervous about the one that looked like her sister.

"We heard you are a new race here on the Citadel. My name is Commander Shepherd." The woman spoke.

"Strange first name, I am Kiran Somtaaw." Kiran said, noticing a small smile across her face.

"Oh no, sorry. Commander is my rank. My first name is Jane." The woman said.

If Kiran wasn't troubled about this woman, she sure was now. Not only did she look like her deceased sister, she had a very similar name.

"Very well Jane, what can I do for you?" Kiran asked.

"Well, first of all. Who are you people? You look Human to me." She said bluntly.

"Yes, what are the odds that two species would look so close, separated by galaxies." Kiran replied, and looked at the shock on their faces.

"Oh I get it. Whirlpool as in the M-51 Whirlpool Galaxy." The male spoke up.

"Correct. This is as much a shock for us, yet for different reasons. Most sapient species in our galaxy look very similar to us so seeing the difference of species here was something unusual to us." Kiran explained.

"I would like to know more about the history and culture of your people." Jane said, eyeing Kiran carefully.

"Well, our history is quite varied. In our early history, we were in a bitter war that we started, and that we lost. As punishment, we were exiled to a desert planet on the fringes of our galaxy for nearly four thousand years. After that time, we returned to claim our homeworld, Hiigara. One hundred years we fought a war with a race called the Vaygr. In that war, we prevailed and ever since we have been growing in our sector of space." Kiran said, knowing that an explanation of their past would take far more time and didn't want to keep her too long.

"What about your culture?" Jane asked.

"Well, it's very much based on familial ties. Our people identify themselves as part of a family or as we call it a Kiith. Each Kiith has a unique culture and traditions to the point that we still keep the name of our Kiith. Mine is Somtaaw, there is also Naabal, Soban, S'jet, Manaan, LiirHra, Paktu as well as the smaller Kaalel, Magaan, Sagald, Jaraci and Taambur. There is also the illegal Kiith Gaalsien."

"Wow, how do you get anything done?" Ashley piped up.

"Well, each Kiith specializes in a certain area. I will admit, we do have competition between the Sas, but for the most part we work together when it comes to the need of Hiigara." Kiran said, having read the brief on how competitive Humans were, knowing this would be their greatest roadblock to prosperity in this galaxy.

"That's all I need for now, thank you for your time." Jane said, and signalled for them to leave.

"That was interesting." Kaiden piped up.

"What do you mean, LT?" Ashley asked.

"Did you not notice how they all had green eyes, very similar to the Commander's?" Kaiden said.

"Hey, you're right. I bet if the skipper dyed her hair, she could pass off as one of 'em. Heck, she would look like that rep's sister." Ashley said, with a wide grin.

"Okay, that's enough you two. Let's go find this Wrex, and see what he can tell us about Saren." Jane said, leading the two of them to a rapid transit car.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"You want proof, there it is." Jane heard the words form the ambassador ring into the ears of everyone in the room. After chasing leads all across the Citadel, they had proof of Saren's actions and there was no way even the Turian could weasel out of this one.

The banter went back and forth until something caught her attention, with no input from her she was suddenly a Spectre and she would be the one to haul in Saren. She made some sort of weak statement about it being an honour before being dismissed. Udina was once again making plans and they were following along with it like he was their fearless dictator.

As Jane rode the elevator back up to the docks, she listened to the banter between Ashley and Kaiden, the Lieutenant seemed to be the typical officer and measured his words carefully. While Ashley…she just shot off her mouth before thinking. As the door opened, she was surprised to see the docking bay next to the Normandy was occupied, and the ship was not anything she had seen before and she had seen a lot of ships.

"What is that thing?" Ashley said.

"I'm guessing it belongs to the Hiigarans." Kaiden stated.

Jane had to admit, it looked tough. While she was confident that the Normandy could run circles around the thing, the prospects of going toe to toe with it was not very comforting. With a ship of that bulk, the Mass Effect core must be large. Jane noticed that the representative she met before was talking to a couple of men in bulky armor and odd guns standing at the gantry and walked up to them.

"Hello, Jane." The woman said to her.

"Ma'am." Jane replied.

"Please, call me Kiran. People here are much too formal." She said and looked over to Jane's companions. "So are you leaving the Citadel?"

"Will be coming and going. I'm a Spectre now." Jane stated.

"Well congratulations, I hear that is a high honour." Kiran said. "I wouldn't mind learning more about your people at your next leisure."

"I'll see what I can do. Right now, I think my captain needs me." Jane said, leaving the Hiigaran alone and heading back to where Udina and Anderson were waiting.

"New friend, Shepherd?" Anderson asked.

"Maybe, I met her earlier today." Jane said, looking over the Normandy.

"Just watch your step, Commander. We know hardly anything about these people. They may look like us, but their interests are just as alien as the Asari or Turians." Udina said and then dropped the bombshell of handing over command of the Normandy to her.

It was explained to her that as a Spectre she needed her own ship, and could not be second in command on this investigation. While it did not sit well with her how Anderson was being treated, she knew that the decision was far above her pay grade, she would strive to make the best of the opportunity that she was granted. After talking with Anderson for a while and gaining some valuable information, she boarded the Normandy to address her crew.

Kiran watched as the docking clamps disengaged from the ship that she now knew was called the Normandy, the ship pulled out of the dock with an elegance she could not help but admire. It reminded her of the combat recordings of Kadeshi Advanced Swarmers, fast and deadly. Whatever propulsion system they used, it made the ship fast, very fast.

Walking aboard her own vessel, Kiran deposited her omni tool into a compartment designed to shield electronic signals. You didn't advance through the diplomatic corps without some insight into how the game was played, and that game involved intelligence and counter-intelligence.

Kiran walked down the corridors of the ship until she reached a room where two soldiers stood guard, where she entered her passcode and voice identification. Inside the room was nothing more than a single console, and the means of covert communications back to Hiigara. The Hyperspace Communicator allowed them to communicate through hyperspace without being detected. The side effect of using such technology was that it required the ship's core to open a microscopic hyperspace window. Any species with even the most basic hyperspace sensors would pick it up, which was not a problem here.

"Kiran Somtaaw, what can you tell us from your meeting?" A gravelly voice emanated from the room.

"My Sa, this galaxy has great potential. Much of it remains unexplored, as this relay network of theirs seems to be their sole method of interstellar travel with limited normal space FTL, a drive system with even shorter range than our most basic hyperspace cores. We could commence forward resourcing operations in this galaxy without disturbing the other races, although I would recommend that we perform these activities outside of what they call Council space." Kiran said, explaining what she already knew.

"What of these races, what sort of threat do they pose to us?" The male said, continuing his inquiry.

"Well, the three primary races are the Asari, Salarians and Turians. While the Turians may appear the greatest of threats with a fleet nearly as half as large as the Taiidan Empire at its apex, they are predictable. Their fleets take time to mobilize and they seem to adhere to a rigid form of discipline and military doctrine. It is highly unlikely they will act without direct orders from the Citadel Council. We should be wary of the Salarians, they are very scientific and think tactically. I cannot stress enough that we should ensure that our secrets are kept our own, at least until their inentions are more clearly understood. The final race, and the one of greatest concern are the Asari." Kiran said to one of the most powerful men in Hiigaran power.

"The Asari? From what we were told from our diplomatic package, they have always sought the way of peace and do not rush into things." He said, a large amount of skepticism in his voice.

"Appearances can be deceiving. They were the first race to discover this Citadel, and seem to have brought two other great races under them. I would consider them more manipulative than anything else. You read about the Rachni Wars, and how they uplifted a species to deal with the problem, and when these uplifited Krogan rebelled against their vassal status, they used the Turians to deal with them. Their claim of forming the Council on cooperation and understanding is dubious at best. I would say that it is operated more in the name of fear and coercion. Take for example, the newest race. The Humans." Kira explained, it was quiet for a moment before the person on the other end responded.

"We must be careful, representative Somtaaw. They may be our long-lost cousins and children of the Progenitors, but they are not us and we must not let our sympathies get in the way." The voice cautioned, it was not angry but concerned.

"Let me explain great Sa. There are many sections of their relay network that remain inactive, very much like the Ringroad was prior to us finding the flagship Sajuuk. The Humans began activating these relays, which was a direct violation of council law, a council at that time the Humans were unaware of along with their rules. The Turians saw them activating these relays and attacked them, and then occupied one of their colonies, it was only when the council 'stepped in' that hostilities ceased." Kiran explained, knowing this would trigger a response.

"They just attacked? Without warning or an explanation?" The man said, a sense or indignation clearly heard in his voice.

"Correct, not much different than the Taiidan in response to our hyperspace test near Kharak those generations ago, just not with the same consequences. I believe that even the Turians knew how ridiculous it was to attack a race completely unaware of council law, but was meant as a form of intimidation. This way, when the council offered to broker a peace against a force that could destroy Humanity in weeks, the Humans were more than willing to accept whatever concessions the council demanded. Because of their location, they are now used as a buffer state against the unstable Terminus Systems. It would be like us not providing support to the Taiidan Republic, with their position on the Vaygr Frontier while at the same time compelling them to abide by Hiigaran law." Kiran explained.

"I see your point, representative. You mentioned something called the Terminus Systems?" The leader asked, getting back to the task at hand.

"Correct, they are a less organized region of space, a patchwork of smaller nations without any form of cohesive government like the Citadel Council. While I don't think it would be wise to enter aggressively, I do think the potential for expansion is there. We may have to take out a local strongpoint called Omega, but that has yet to be seen. There is an oppressive race called the Batarians but are technologically backwards, that may require containment and something called a Migrant Fleet that may also hinder our progress." Kiran explained, having been studying the races thoroughly.

"What about these other races? The Volus, Elcor, Hanar, Drell and Vorcha?" The man said, having paid attention to the diplomatic cable.

"Well, with the exception of the Vorcha, they are all vassal races to the Council. Very little point with opening anything beyond formal diplomatic relations. The Vorcha could best be described as the equivalent of Turanic Raiders. There is no government to speak of and no possibility of achieving any meaningful agreements with them." Kiran summarized.

"Very well. What do you recommend?" The question finally was raised, knowing they would act on her recommendations.

"Two things. First, we begin formal trade negotiations with the Citadel Council. The gate is within their sector of space. Second, we give them short jump schematics in exchange for freedom of movement." Kiran said, knowing the second would trigger a response.

"I understand the first. We need a show of good faith, and this goes in hand with that. However, how could you suggest we give our greatest secret to those we don't even know?" The man asked, in a tone as if he were educating a child.

"With all due respect, Sa. Short jump technology is hardly a Hiiaran secret. I am not suggesting we provide schematics with the Hiigaran upgrades, just basic core technology that every other race in our galaxy uses. We simply provide them with the Bentusi schematics that are widely disseminated. Look, as long as the Citadel Council are escorting our vessels, we stand the risk of them gleaning our ship technology. We make it seem like this is our crown jewel of technology, we not only create an environment where are ships are free from alien interference but it also allows the Council to believe we are weaker than we actually are." Kiran explained.

"Very well, I will bring this to the Daiamid. I think I can get most of the Kiith on our side, but S'jet will take some convincing. Continue with the trade negotiations, we will inform you at your next broadcast at the decision made. May Sajuuk light your path." The man concluded.

"Glory and honor, esteemed Sa." Kiran said, as the transmission ended. Kiran left the room to see the ship's captain standing there, waiting.

"Representative Somtaaw, how did it go?" The man said to her as he walked with her down the corridor.

"Frankly, I would find it safer harvesting crystal lattice than dealing with politics." Kiran said, getting a hearty laugh from the captain.

"Once a mining Kiith, always a mining Kiith." He said, shaking his head.

"So what did you think of that Human?" Kiran asked the captain and her confidant.

"Jane? Well she reminds me of someone. Aside from that, it's hard to tell. Clearly something is going on, I could sense something was off. I don't like it." He said plainly.

"I know what you mean. Did the scanners get a profile on the ship as it left?" Kiran asked, as they reached the airlock.

"They did. What do you want done?" He asked her.

"Nothing right now. We're going to keep an eye on that ship. Maybe we'll have our ships monitor it once we are cleared to begin work in this sector." Kiran said as she stepped through the airlock and opened the containment unit and put on the omni-tool. "Thank-you for the update captain, I'll let the proper people know about the core maintenance test just to be safe. We don't want to alarm our new friends." Kiran said with a wink as she left the ship.


End file.
